New features in Maya 2012
Viewport 2.0 Enhancements: Evaluate your work in a higher fidelity environment with full-screen effects in the high-performance viewport.
Node-Based Render Passes: Create and edit node-based representations of render passes directly within Maya, to verify and refine your work.
Editable Motion Trails: Edit animation directly in the viewport without the need to switch context to the graph editor.
Sequencer Enhancements: Reorder clips, edit In and Out points, and change camera assignments in the new Sequencer Playlist.
Substance Procedural Textures: Achieve a vast range of look variations with a new library of 80 Substance procedural textures.
Craft Animation Tools: Easily create believable, complex camera movements that mimic real-world setups, with 4 new camera rigs from the Craft Director Studioâ„¢ animation tool.
New Simulation Options: Create compelling dynamic visual effects in less time, with new simulation options that incorporate industry-leading technology into Maya.
HumanIK Enhancements: Working with characters is now easier in both Maya 2012 and MotionBuilder 2012, with an enhanced interface and unified solver for HumanIK® technology (formerly implemented as FBIK in Maya).